Decoction is the most commonly used dosage form in the clinical treatment of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). During boiling, the violent movement of various active ingredients in TCM creates molecular forces such as hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, hydrophobic interactions and electrostatic interactions, which results in the formation of self-assembled aggregates in decoction (SADs), including particles, gels, fibers, etc. It was found that SADs widely existed in decoction with biological activities superior to both effective monomers and their physical mixtures, providing a new idea to reveal the pharmacodynamic material basis of Chinese herbal medicine from the perspective of component interactions-phase structure. Recently, SADs have become a novel focus of research in TCM. This paper reviewed their relevant studies in recent years and found some issues to be concerned in the research, such as the polydispersity of decoction system, instability of active ingredient interactions during boiling, uncertainty of the aggregates self-assembly rules, and stability, purity, yield of the products. In this regard, some solutions and new ideas were presented for the integrated development and clinical application of SADs.

Humans ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Endoscopy ; Esophageal Neoplasms/epidemiology* ; Risk Factors ; Mass Screening

Objective To evaluate the influence of health education on influenza and pneumonia vaccination in hypertensive and diabetic population. Methods Multi-stage random sampling method was used to select subjects, carry out health education and follow-up, and compare the cognition and vaccination status of diseases and vaccines before and after intervention by themselves. Results Among the 2.45% of subjects were vaccinated with influenza vaccine at the last follow-up after intervention, compared with 0.74% before intervention (P < 0.05), 9.81% of subjects were vaccinated with pneumonia vaccine, compared with 0.49% before intervention (P < 0.05). At the last follow-up after intervention, 2.45% of subjects had received influenza vaccine and 9.81% of subjects had received pneumonia vaccine, with high vaccination rates before intervention (P < 0.05). In 3 follow-up visits after intervention, 32.37%, 41.00% and 38.11% of hypertension and diabetes patients were more likely to suffer from pneumonia, which were higher than 30.36% (P < 0.05). 37.22%, 44.92% and 41.39% thought pneumonia would aggravate hypertension and diabetes, respectively, which were higher than 35.80% (P < 0.05). 40.02%, 52.62% and 50.02% thought vaccination was necessary, respectively, higher than 40.07% before intervention (P < 0.05). Conclusion People with hypertension and diabetes have low cognition, vaccination willingness and vaccination rate of influenza and pneumonia vaccine. Targeted health education interventions can improve the level of knowledge, attitude and practice of vaccination and improve the vaccination rate of the population.

Objective:To study the expression levels and clinical significance of microR-NA-183-5p(miR-183-5p)and thioesterase superfamily member 4(THEM4)in colon cancer tissues.Methods:A total of 96 patients with colon cancer who in Hebei China Petroleum Central Hospital gathered as the research objects.During the course of radical resection of colon cancer patients,the colon cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues were collected.The relative expression levels of miR-183-5p and THEM4 mRNA in colon cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues were detected.Analysis of the correlation between miR-183-5pand THEM4mRNA in colon cancer and their relation-ship with prognosis.COX regression was used to analyze the risk factors affecting the prognosis of pa-tients with colon cancer.Results:Compared with adjacent normal tissues,the expression level of miR-183-5p in colon cancer tissues increased(P＜0.05),and the expression level of THEM4 mRNA decreased(P＜0.05).MiR-183-5p was negatively correlated with THEM4 mRNA expression in colon cancer tissue(r=-0.529,P＜0.05).The survival rate of the high expression group of miR-183-5p lower than that of the low expression group(P＜0.05),the survival rate of the high expression group of THEM4 was obviously higher than that of the low expression group(P＜0.05).TNM stage(Ⅲ-Ⅳ),high expres-sion of miR-183-5p and low expression of THEM4 were risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with colon cancer(P＜0.05).Conclusion:The expression level of miR-183-5p in cancer tissues of patients with colon cancer is increased,and the expression level of THEM4 is decreased,both are closely relat-ed to the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients.

Nephrotic syndrome (NS) has a variety of classifications, pathogenesis and pathological types. Clinical diagnosis primarily relies on serum biochemistry, while the specific classification necessitates renal puncture for biopsy, which is hindered by poor patient compliance. Therefore, it is of great significance for clinical diagnosis to find a non-invasive and rapid method to reflect the classification and progression of nephrotic syndrome. In this study, LC-MS metabolomics combined with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and multiple linear regression analysis was used to screen and identify potential biomarkers capable of reflecting the typing and progression of nephrotic syndrome. According to the statistical parameters VIP>1, P<0.05 and AUC>0.5 obtained from the orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model, five potential classification markers were screened to distinguish membranous nephropathy (MN) from IgA nephropathy (IgAN), including indoleacetic acid, isoleucine proline, DL-indole-3-lactic acid, D-phenylalanine and L-tryptophan. Furthermore, using estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) as the dependent variable, a multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify the potential progression markers capable of reflecting the progression of MN to uremia. These metabolites included alanylleucine, 9-capryloylcarnitine, gluconic acid, caprylyl glycine and sebacic acid. Potential markers of progression of IgA nephropathy to uremia comprised alanylleucine, 9-capryloylcarnitine, caprylyl glycine, and sebacic acid. This study provides a theoretical basis for the discovery of potential classification and progression biomarkers of kidney disease, and also offers a methodological reference for future research in this area. The protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital [(2020) Provincial Medical Ke Lun Shen Zi No. 30].

The 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones were separated from agarwood of Aquilaria agallocha Roxb. and their anti-KRAS mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) activities were evaluated. 2-(2-Phenyethyl)chromones in agarwood were separated and purified by silica gel, RP-18 reverse phase silica gel, MCI gel CH20P, Diol, and semi preparative HPLC chromatography techniques, while the structures of the compounds were identified by extensive spectroscopic analysis, such as 1D and 2D NMR and ESI-MS. The cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) assay was used to screen the anti-tumor activity of the isolated monomeric compounds on three KRAS-mutant NSCLC cells. The cell proliferation, cloning formation, adhesion ability, and cell cycle arrest activity of compound 8 were analyzed. Molecular docking and Western blot experiments were used to study the mechanism of compound 8. The in vivo anti-tumor activity of the compound 8 was evaluated by zebrafish cell derived xenograft (CDX) model. Nineteen known 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of agarwood. On A549 (KRAS G12S) cells, compounds 8, 10, and 19 showed good inhibitory activity, on H23 (KRAS G12C) cells, compounds 7, 8, and 19 showed good inhibitory activity, and on H358 (KRAS G12C) cells, compounds 8, 10, and 16 showed good inhibitory activity. Compound 8 had the best inhibitory activity in all three cell lines. It effectively inhibited cell proliferation, clone formation, adhesion ability, and arrested the H23 cell cycle at G2/M phase. Compound 8 could also inhibit the expression of c-Met and its downstream signaling pathways, effectively inhibiting tumor growth in zebrafish CDX model. In conclusion, among the nineteen known 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones, compound 8 had the best activity and significantly inhibited the proliferation of KRAS-mutant NSCLC cells by arresting the cells in the G2/M phase.

Objective To explore the action mechanism of tauroursodeoxycholic acid(TUDCA)promoting intracellular clearance of Burkholderia pseudomallei(B.pseudomallei)in RAW264.7 macrophages.Methods After TUDCA of different concentrations were used to treat RAW264.7 cells pre-infected with B.pseudomallei for 8 h or not,flow cytometry was applied to detect the apoptosis of the infected and control cells.In addition,another endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS)inhibitor 4-PBA was used to detect the apoptosis and proliferation of host cells after B.pseudomallei infection with Annexin-V/PI double staining and MTT cell proliferation assay.Furthermore,after transfected with CHOP siRNA,Western blotting and flow cytometry were employed to detect the effect of TUDCA on the expression levels of Caspase-3 and Caspase-12 and the changes in apoptotic rate after B.pseudomallei infection,respectively.Finally,the effect of TUDCA on intracellular multiplication of infected RAW264.7 cells were observed to estimate the CFU value in the presence and absence of CHOP siRNA.Results Under different concentrations of TUDCA,100 or 200 μmol/L TUDCA significantly reduced B.pseudomallei-induced apoptosis in RAW264.7 cells(P＜0.05).Meanwhile,both TUDCA and 4-PBA treatment could decrease the apoptosis induced by B.pseudomallei infection by ERS(P＜0.05).Further,the expression levels of Caspase-3 and Caspase-12 were obviously increased after B.pseudomallei infection compared with uninfected groups,but their expression levels in the siCHOP group was significantly lower than that in the siC group.Besides,flow cytometry also showed that TUDCA could reduce apoptosis induced by B.pseudomallei infection(P＜0.05),but no significant effect of TUDCA on apoptosis was observed under CHOP knockdown.Finally,intracellular CFU assay indicated that TUDCA treatment promoted the host cell clearance of B.pseudomallei(P＜0.05),but no such effect was observed in siCHOP group.Conclusion In B.pseudomallei infected RAW264.7 cells,TUDCA promotes the intracellular clearance of the bacteria by inhibiting ERS-induced apoptosis.

Aim To investigate the role and potential mechanism of methyltransferase-like 5 (METTL5) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) . Methods The expression of METTL5 in TNBC tumor tissues and cell lines was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. After shRNA targeting METTL5 (shRNAMETTL5) was transfected into TNBC cells, cell proliferation, migration and invasion were detected by CCK-8, colony formation, wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. Western blot was used to detect the expression of Wnt/p-catenin signaling-related key proteins. A xenograft tumor model was constructed to verify the effect of METTL5 knockdown on the growth of TNBC cells and Wnt/p-catenin signaling activity in vivo. Results The expression of METTL5 was up-regulated in TNBC tumor tissues and cell lines (P < 0. 01) . Knockdown of METTL5 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of TNBC cells and reduced the expression of Wnt/p-catenin signaling molecules (3-catenin, cyclin Dl, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) -2 and MMP-7 (all P < 0. 01) . Knockdown of METTL5 reduced tumor growth and Wnt/pcatenin signaling activity in vivo. Conclusions Knockdown of METTL5 can inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of TNBC cells, which may be related to the inhibition of Wnt/p-catenin signaling pathway.

Cancer immunotherapy has rapidly become the fourth mainstream treatment alternative after surgery,radiotherapy,and chemotherapy,with some promising results.It aims to kill tumor cells by mobilizing or stimulating cytotoxic immune cells.However,the clinical applications of tumor immunotherapies are limited owing to a lack of adequate delivery pathways and high toxicity.Recently,nanomaterials and genetic engineering have shown great potential in overcoming these limitations by protecting the delivery of antigens,activating targeted T cells,modulating the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment,and improving the treatment efficacy.Bacillus Calmette-Guérin(BCG)is a live attenuated Mycobacterium bovis vaccine used to prevent tuberculosis,which was first reported to have antitumor activity in 1927.BCG therapy can activate the immune system by inducing various cytokines and chemokines,and its specific immune and inflammatory responses exert antitumor effects.BCG was first used during the 1970s as an intravesical treatment agent for bladder cancer,which effectively improved immune antitumor activity and prevented tumor recurrence.More recently,nano-BCG and genetically engineered BCG have been proposed as treatment alternatives for bladder cancer due to their ability to induce stronger and more stable immune responses.In this study,we outline the development of nano-BCG and genetically engineered BCG for bladder cancer immunotherapy and review their potential and associated challenges.

Long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs)play an indispensable role in the occurrence and development of ovarian cancer(OC).However,the potential involvement of lncRNAs in the progression of OC is largely unknown.To investigate the detailed roles and mechanisms of RAD51 homolog B-antisense 1(RAD51B-AS1),a novel lncRNA in OC,reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)was performed to verify the expression of RAD51B-AS1.Cellular proliferation,metastasis,and apoptosis were detected using the cell counting kit-8(CCK-8),colony-formation,transwell,and flow cytometry assays.Mouse xenograft models were established for the detection of tumorigenesis.The results revealed that RAD51B-AS1 was significantly upregulated in a highly metastatic human OC cell line and OC tissues.RAD51B-AS1 significantly increased the proliferation and metastasis of OC cells and enhanced their resistance to anoikis.Biogenetics prediction analysis revealed that the only target gene of RAD51B-AS1 was RAD51B.Subsequent gene function experiments revealed that RAD51B exerts the same biological effects as RAD51B-AS1.Rescue experiments demonstrated that the malignant biological behaviors promoted by RAD51B-AS1 overexpression were partially or completely reversed by RAD51B silencing in vitro and in vivo.Thus,RAD51B-AS1 promotes the malignant biological behaviors of OC and activates the protein kinase B(Akt)/B cell lymphoma protein-2(Bcl-2)signaling pathway,and these effects may be associated with the positive regulation of RAD51B expression.RAD51B-AS1 is expected to serve as a novel molecular biomarker for the diagnosis and prediction of poor prognosis in OC,and as a potential therapeutic target for disease management.